“While any fall in the number of suicides offers hope, the numbers are still worryingly high overall, and behind each number is a real person. The reasons for suicide are complex and as a country we could be doing a lot more to prevent people from reaching crisis point like this. While it’s true that it’s partly about needing to open up, talk and reach out for help, far too often we at Rethink Mental Illness are hearing from people who can’t access the care and support they desperately need when they do seek it. We need to see funding prioritised for timely and high quality support close to home that is put in place as soon as someone first asks for help.”